Fatman
Active member
Led that bites!!!!!!!
sickles win another convert
- Thread starter redear
- Start date
Hawnjigs
KISS
"I am not happy with Matzuo but what can you do???"
Switch to VMC at a similar price point? Haven't needed to buy any lately but am well pleased with my inventory #10 & #8 BN. #6 BN seems just a hair soft, most would not notice but I do(or think so). Haven't tried #4 and larger, how are they?
Switch to VMC at a similar price point? Haven't needed to buy any lately but am well pleased with my inventory #10 & #8 BN. #6 BN seems just a hair soft, most would not notice but I do(or think so). Haven't tried #4 and larger, how are they?
Fatman
Active member
I know redear bought some VMC black nickles but I don't know how they did for him, I'm pretty sure he got some 4's.
redear
Active member
I bought 750 black nickel vmc size 4's a couple months ago from cpt hooks and altho I have not poured them yet, they seem to be strong. grabbing them around the barb area as well as the front part of the hook around the 90 and trying to bend the hook out, yeah they seem strong. these have the old style barbs along with what I call a cut point. they are sharp for sure, and are sharper than the eagle claw black platinums of ther same size, but am thinking they might not be quite as sharp as the older vmc's, but don't get me wrong they are plenty sharp. the thing I have noticed with the vmc's is this, you order the hooks and you never know what style barb and point you are going to get. there is the old style cut point with the larger old style barb, and then there is the ultra sharp cone shaped point with a smaller barb which is becomming more popular. I like them both, I also got 500 bronze vmc's on this order in size 4 that had the ultra sharp cone shaped point and small barb.
redear
Active member
I think I remember someone saying that vmc moved their manufacturing from france to china, and I don't blame them, from what I have heard france is taxing the heck out of businesses there. somewhere in the naborhood of 75%.
Fatman
Active member
Redear - thanks for the update on th VMC's
Hawnjigs
KISS
According to the VMC USA rep the newer version chemically sharpened 9147 jig hooks are sourced from their Chinese factory, and the cut/chisel point 1,000 boxes are labeled "Made in France".
The chem sharp VMC 9147s I have seen look similar to Ultra Point 32746 at a third of the Mustad price. And I agree with Redear that the old tech VMCs are nonetheless a quality hook.
The chem sharp VMC 9147s I have seen look similar to Ultra Point 32746 at a third of the Mustad price. And I agree with Redear that the old tech VMCs are nonetheless a quality hook.
Ron Don
Future Sponsor
I have had no probs with VMCs all the way up to #2.
Hawnjigs
KISS
Any problems over #2?
Fatman
Active member
Hawn I have a bunch of 1/8th and 1/4 oz ball head with collars made with 1 and 1/0 VMC 9147's and they work great - but - these are what I'd call old stock I had bought them back late 80's to 92.
Hawnjigs
KISS
Got some leftover 1/16 Boolies that worked fine for crappie around 4 years ago, thought I'd throw a few into the North Platte River at the Miracle Mile. They got bit just fine, but these older mfg. #4 Sickles weren't the best choice for feisty river trout.
View attachment 4
View attachment 4
Attachments
LedHed
Sponsor
Hmmm - makes you wonder about Matzuo's QC....
JUNGLEJIM1
Well-known member
I've noticed in some boxes that wire diameter on the hooks aren't consistent. Some are thinner than others and bend out pretty easy. How big was the trout that bent the top one out like that ?
Hawnjigs
KISS
Both bendouts lost fish, but the top one is pretty extreme, eh?
Never got to see either fugitive, but reviewing my catch log, the dozen or so I caught on the 1/16 #4 Sickle Boolies topped out at 17", so guessing it took bigger to bend out. I remember the big bender - it felt exceptionally sizeable.
And yeah, #8 & #6 Sickle wire diameters seem adequate for the hook sizes, but standard #4 & 2 already seem a bit thin IMO, so off grade thinner would indeed invite failure, especially if the temper was on the soft side.
Never got to see either fugitive, but reviewing my catch log, the dozen or so I caught on the 1/16 #4 Sickle Boolies topped out at 17", so guessing it took bigger to bend out. I remember the big bender - it felt exceptionally sizeable.
And yeah, #8 & #6 Sickle wire diameters seem adequate for the hook sizes, but standard #4 & 2 already seem a bit thin IMO, so off grade thinner would indeed invite failure, especially if the temper was on the soft side.
I've caught trout up to 20# and smallmouth up to 18" on size 4 sickles here and never had a problem with them bending out. I use the black nickle hooks, though.
Are those the bronze finish hooks? I have a few heads given to me by others and the bronze finish hooks seem to bend out easier.
BTW, for those who are curious about the Gamakatsu hooks, they did make a sickle knockoff... but not as a jig hook. They only make them in humongous sizes as octopus and siwash hooks.
http://www.gamakatsu.com/fishing-hooks.php?pid=1022
http://www.gamakatsu.com/gear.php?pid=1234
Are those the bronze finish hooks? I have a few heads given to me by others and the bronze finish hooks seem to bend out easier.
BTW, for those who are curious about the Gamakatsu hooks, they did make a sickle knockoff... but not as a jig hook. They only make them in humongous sizes as octopus and siwash hooks.
http://www.gamakatsu.com/fishing-hooks.php?pid=1022
http://www.gamakatsu.com/gear.php?pid=1234
Hawnjigs
KISS
Wow, 20# trout (steelhead I presume)! Maybe my bendouts were 20+? Haha, I was told a true trophy trout at the Mile in WY starts at 25" and (my)est 6-7#, and the teller admittted still trying to crack 24 after many years. How long would a 20#, or even 10#er measure out at?
My #4 Sickles were black chrome, but might have been a soft batch. Nonetheless, over the years most of my bendout losses were on Sickles of different sizes & types. Most likely my playing skills, or lack of, contributed.
My #4 Sickles were black chrome, but might have been a soft batch. Nonetheless, over the years most of my bendout losses were on Sickles of different sizes & types. Most likely my playing skills, or lack of, contributed.
Hawnjigs
KISS
Hiked 2-1/2 miles to a previously fished out moi hole on Monday with two guests from WA and luckily there were fish present. My last successful session there years ago I landed only one fish out of maybe a half dozen hookups with #2 salt water Sickle hook jigs. The hooks appeared to be sharp and strong and couldn't figger the high drop of ratio. This time, we hooked 3 and landed all of them on #2 Mustad 32833 hook jigs. And again, couldn't figger the reversed trend, since the same 1/4 UP 2x jigs have a horrid drop off incidence trout fishing.